CVE-2024-24934: Elementor Path Traversal Vulnerability

CVE-2024-24934 Overview

CVE-2024-24934 is a Path Traversal vulnerability affecting Elementor Website Builder, one of the most widely used WordPress page builder plugins. This security flaw allows authenticated attackers to manipulate web input to perform file system operations outside of intended directories, potentially leading to arbitrary file deletion and PHAR deserialization attacks.

Critical Impact

This vulnerability enables attackers with low-level authentication to traverse file system paths, potentially deleting critical files or triggering PHAR deserialization which could compromise the entire WordPress installation.

Affected Products

• Elementor Website Builder versions through 3.19.0
• WordPress installations using vulnerable Elementor plugin versions
• All Elementor Free edition deployments prior to the security patch

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-05-17 - CVE-2024-24934 published to NVD
• 2025-01-29 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-24934

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability stems from improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory (CWE-22), commonly known as Path Traversal. The flaw allows authenticated users to manipulate input parameters that interact with the file system, enabling them to access files and directories outside the intended scope of the application.

The vulnerability specifically enables two dangerous attack scenarios: arbitrary file deletion and PHAR deserialization. Arbitrary file deletion can be leveraged to remove critical WordPress files such as wp-config.php, potentially causing denial of service or enabling further attacks. The PHAR deserialization component is particularly concerning as it could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code if they can control or influence PHAR archive contents on the system.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability lies in insufficient input validation and sanitization when processing file paths provided by users. The Elementor plugin fails to properly restrict user-supplied input to a predefined directory structure, allowing specially crafted path sequences (such as ../) to traverse outside the intended directories.

WordPress plugins that handle file operations must implement strict path canonicalization and validation to ensure all file system operations remain within approved directories. The absence of these controls in affected versions of Elementor created this exploitable condition.

Attack Vector

The attack is network-based and requires low-level authentication (such as a subscriber or contributor role in WordPress). An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by submitting malicious requests containing path traversal sequences through the plugin's web interface. These requests manipulate file system calls to access or delete files outside the plugin's intended directory scope.

The attack does not require user interaction beyond the initial authentication, and successful exploitation can impact both the integrity of the system (through file deletion) and availability (by removing critical system files).

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-24934

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected file deletions in WordPress directories, particularly core files like wp-config.php or .htaccess
• Web server logs showing requests with path traversal patterns such as ../ or encoded variants (%2e%2e%2f)
• Unusual activity from low-privileged WordPress user accounts accessing Elementor administrative functions
• PHAR file access attempts in web application logs

Detection Strategies

• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block requests containing path traversal patterns (../, ..%2f, %2e%2e/)
• Monitor WordPress audit logs for file deletion events originating from the Elementor plugin
• Deploy file integrity monitoring solutions to detect unauthorized modifications or deletions to WordPress core and configuration files
• Review authentication logs for unusual patterns of low-privileged users accessing administrative Elementor endpoints

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging for all file system operations initiated by WordPress plugins
• Configure real-time alerts for any file deletion events in critical WordPress directories
• Monitor for PHAR stream wrapper usage in PHP logs which may indicate deserialization attempts
• Implement baseline monitoring for the Elementor plugin directory to detect anomalous file operations

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-24934

Immediate Actions Required

• Update Elementor Website Builder to version 3.20.0 or later immediately
• Audit WordPress user accounts and remove unnecessary low-privileged accounts that could be leveraged for exploitation
• Review recent file system changes for signs of exploitation before the patch was applied
• Implement Web Application Firewall rules to block path traversal attempts as a defense-in-depth measure

Patch Information

The vulnerability affects Elementor Website Builder versions through 3.19.0. Users should update to the latest available version through the WordPress plugin update mechanism. The patch addresses the improper path validation issue by implementing proper input sanitization and restricting file system operations to authorized directories.

For detailed vulnerability information, refer to the Patchstack Vulnerability Report.

Workarounds

• Temporarily restrict access to the WordPress admin panel to trusted IP addresses only
• Remove contributor and subscriber level access for untrusted users until patching is complete
• Enable WordPress plugin auto-updates to ensure timely security patch deployment
• Consider temporarily deactivating Elementor if immediate patching is not possible and the site is at high risk

# WordPress CLI command to update Elementor plugin
wp plugin update elementor

# Verify current Elementor version
wp plugin get elementor --field=version

# Check for any unauthorized file modifications
wp core verify-checksums